Compartment door latch



Sept. 7, 1965 E. N. JAcoBl COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1965 W MN. M v @w N M V Q m f 4 s y El# u Nv www. M s wl@ Hmm. 1 NT3 @M www ,.,I w o m v @m m Wm u W wml: \\\\V\ www on Tm M E INM mn f/ ww@ au. a o fm www f/ /M Sept. 7, 1965 E. N. JAcoBl COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1965 y MJA/947401# and NJmbz. ,9 nma;

lIIIII mm( @W1/ Vc II Inmu- IH "lA Sept. 7, 1965 E. N. JAcoBl COMPARTMENT DOOR LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 5, 1965 United States Patent O 3,204,994 COMPARTMENT DOR LATCH Edward N. Jacobi, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Briggs 8: Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 299,867 Claims. (Cl. 292-227) This invention relates to latch mechanisms and refers more particularly to latch mechanisms of the type intended for use on the glove compartment doors of automobiles.

Patent No. 2,208,003, to Edward N. Jacobi, illustrates a glove compartment door latch which is controlled by a key actuatable lock mechanism and wherein the cylinder of the lock mechanism serves as a manually operable push button by which the latch bolt can be retracted. However, it is often unnecessary to provide a locking glove compartment `door latch in an automobile because locking of the automobile doors prevents access to the glove compartment latch mechanism and thus secures the contents of the glove compartment. In such cases it is desirable to provide a less expensive, non-locking latch mechanism.

With this in mind, it is .an object of this invention to provide a non-locking latch mechanism which is not only inexpensive to manufacture but which is also sturdy and dependable in operation, land wherein a single `spring which biases the `latch bolt to its extended position also serves to hold the several parts of the mechanism engaged with one another under bias to prevent rattling.

Another object of this invention is to provide a latch device of the character described which utilizes a casing, latch bolt and spring that may be identical with those in the locking compartment door latch shown in Patent No. 2,208,003, so that the non-locking latch mechanism of this invention is in all respects directly interchangeable with locking compartment door latches of the type shown in said patent.

It will be `appreciated that the interchangeability of the casing, latch bolt and spring elements of the non-locking latch mechanism of this invention with those of the locking mechanism of Patent No. 2,208,003 further contributes to the low cost of the latch mechanism of the present invention.

Another object lof this invention resides in the provision of a non-locking compartment door latch mechanism of the character described having very simple means whereby the latch bolt and the spring by which the same is biased to .its extended position are held in place in the casing during assembly of the mechanism, and wherein a push button, a trim member and a pusher by which rearward movement of the push button is translated into retracting motion of the latch bolt, can all be inexpensively formed as simple stampings.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly deined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional View through a nonlocking compartment door latch device constructed in Vaccordance with the principles of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 but showing 3,204,994 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 ice the latch mechanism in its unlocked or door releasing condition;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view of the latch mechanism of this invention with portions broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the latch mechanism of this invention showing the conditions that obtain as the latch bolt is engaged with its striker during closing of the door;

FIGURE 5 is a View similar to FIGURE 4 but showing the conditions that obtain as the compartment door on which the mechanism is mounted reaches a nearly closed position;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6-6 in FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is a disassembled perspective view of the mechanism of this invention.

Referring now particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 2 designates the door of a glove -compartment or the like, -only the upper wall 3 of which is shown. Mounted on the door 2 and extending therethrough is a latch mechanism 4 of this invention, comprising ya cas-ing 5 in which -a latch bolt 6 is mounted for swinging motion toward and from an extended or operative position in which the latch bolt is engageable behind a striker plate 8 to hold the door shut. The striker plate extends down from the upper wall 3 of the compartment, directly adjacent to the door frame. As the door is closed, the striker plate cams the latch bolt 6 to a retracted position, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, and then when the door reaches its fully closed position a spring 9 propels the latch bolt back to its extended position of engagement behind the `striker plate, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The casing S is preferably formed as a die casting and has a forwardly opening bore 10 in which is received a generally U-sh-aped stamped pusher 1l.. The pusher serves to transmit motion to the latch bolt from a push button 12 which is accessible at the front of the casing and which is carried by a trim member 13 that closes the mouth of the bore in the casing.

The casing S can be in all respects identical with the casing of the locking compartment door latch disclosed in the above mentioned Patent No. 2,208,003. As in the mechanism of the patent, a longitudinal slot 14, formed in the top wall of the casing `and opening upwardly from the b-ore 10, accommodates the latch bolt 6. Extending inwardly from the side walls of slot 14 are longitudinal ledges 15 which provide upwardly facing surfaces spaced below the mouth lof the slot and extending along most of the length of the casing. Near the rear of the casing shorter ledges 16 extend partway across the mouth of the slot, at the top of the casing, and cooperate with the ledges 15 to give the side walls of the slot a channelshaped cross section. These channels or grooves near the rear of the casing receive trunnlions 17 that project laterally from the sides of the latch bolt, intermediate the ends thereof, to pivotally mount the latch bolt at the closed inner ends of the grooves.

The latch bolt is yieldingly urged to its extended or operative position by the spring 9, which is confined between an axially short top wall 23 at the rear of the casing and a tailpiece 22 on the latch bolt, comprising its downwardly odset rear end portion. The spring is held against displacement by the engagement of an enlarged coil 24 at its upper end in a notch 25 in the adjacent rear wall of the casing, and by a tit 26 on the tailpiece or rear end portion 22 of the bolt, which projects into the lower coils of the spring. The biasing force of the spring is thus exerted upon the rear end portion 22 of the latch bolt to rock the same about its trunnions 17 and to swing the latch bolt to its extended position in which its front end portion 27 projects obliquely upwarly and forwardly D through the slot 14 and beyond the upper surface of the casing. In addition, the spring biases the latch bolt bodily forwardly along the ledges 15 upon which the trunnions 17 rest. However the latch bolt is limited in its bodily forward motion in response to such bias by means of integral tangs or lugs 2S that are struck inwardly from the side walls of the casing after the latch bolt and spring are assembled thereinto and which provide rearwardly facing abutments above the ledges 15 that are engageable by the trunnions 17.

The push button 12,'which can be readily formed as a stamping, is generally hat-shaped, being mainly cylindrical with a domed front end and a radially outwardly projecting circumferential flange 31 at its rear. The trim member 13, which is a dished stamping that is clinched as at 34 `'around a rim 34 on the front of the casing, has a coaxial hole in which the push button is received with a substantially close sliding fit, and the dome shaped front portion of the push button of course projects forwardly of the trim member to be accessible for manual actuation.

The flange 31 on the rear of the push button provides a forwardly facing shoulder that engages the rear face of the trim member, around the hole therein, to define the most forward position of the push button. The rear face of the flange 31 atwise engages a flat front surface on the front leg 33 of the pusher 11. Since the front leg of the pusher is normal to the casing axis, such atwise engagement between the push button and the pusher serves to steady both of them, so that they tend to confine one another to axial motion, and of course provides for transmission of axial forces between the push button and the pusher.

The bight portion 36 of the pusher 11 is substantially elongated and extends fore-and-aft in the casing, substantially parallel to the axis thereof, and at the level of the inwardly projecting ledges 15. The width of the bight portion 36 is such as to have an easy sliding t between the inner, opposing faces of said ledges, so as to be substantially confined by them against side-to-side movement.

At its front end the bight portion of the pusher has an inverted U-shaped upwardly projecting portion 37, the front leg of which provides substantially a continuation of the front leg 33 of the pusher. This upwardly bulged portion 37 of the pusher is somewhat wider than its front leg 33 and the remainder of its bight portion 36 and provides laterally outwardly facing shoulders 39 which engage the side surfaces of the slot 14 above the ledges 15 to further steady the pusher and constrain it to axial motion.

The upper portion 41 of the rear leg 40 of the pusher extends downwardly from the bight portion substantially at right angles thereto, while the lower portion 42 of the rear leg is bent obliquely rearwardly and down wardly. The side edges of the lower portion of the rear leg diverge downwardly, so that the rear leg is widest at its bottom edge. The rear surface of the upper portion 41 of the rear leg of the pusher provides an abutment that engages the rear end portion or tailpiece 22 of the latch bolt to provide a motion transmitting connection between those members.

The lower edges of the front and rear legs of the pusher rest upon upwardly facing axially extending surfaces 43 and 44 in the bottom of the casing, which further confine and guide the pusher in axial back and forth motion. The surface 43 upon which the front leg rests is the bottom of a shallow slot opening to the bore in the casing and which is normally provided in the casing when the same is used in a locking mechanism.

The surface 44 upon which the bottom edge of the rear pusher leg slides is upwardly offset with respect to the surface 43, to accommodate a mounting screw 48 that is threaded into the casing from the rear thereof and CII which secures the casing to a bracket or cap 49 that fastens the casing to the compartment door 2.. The bracket is tted over the casing from the rear thereof and bears against the rear face of the compartment door 2 to confine the door between it and the flange or rim 34 on the front of the casing.

The engagement between the upper portion of the rear pusher leg and the latch bolt tailpiece 22 not only translates rearward motion of the pusher into inward swinging motion of the latch bolt but also transfers the biasing force of the spring 9 from the latch bolt to the pusher, and from the pusher -to the push button, normally holding the latter engaged under bias with the trim member to thus prevent rattling of the moveable parts. However, when the door is being closed, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5, the striker 8 cammingly swings the latch bolt away from its normal extended position and thus carries its tailpiece 22 out of engagement with the pusher. At the same time the frictional engagement of the striker with the upper surface of the latch bolt tends to pull the latch bolt bodily forwardly, but the lugs or stops 28 dene the limit of such forward motion of the latch bolt to prevent it from being displaced out of the groove defined by the ledges 15 and 16. The lugs 23 of course also hold the latch bolt and spring in place during assembly of the latch mechanism, and thus facilitate insertion of the pusher and pushbutton into the casing.

It will be noted that the llatwise engagement between the flange 31 on the push button and the front leg 33 of the pusher frictionally prevents lateral relative m0- tion between the push button and pusher due to the bias under which these parts are normally urged together by the spring. To insure that the spring will be effective to maintain anti-rattling bias upon the parts, the tangs or lugs 28 that are struck from the sides of the casing are so located that they are spaced forwardly from the trunnions 17 at times when the pusher is engaged with the tailpiece 22 of the latch bolt.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanying drawings it will be apparent that this invention provides an inexpensive non-locking compartment door latch which is interchangeable with the locking latch mechanism of Patent No. 2,208,003, having relatively few parts, mainly formed as simple stampings, and wherein the spring which biases the latch bolt to its extended position also serves to confine the parts against rattling.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a latch device of the character described:

(A) a casing having (1) a bore which opens to the front of the casing,

and

(2) a slot opening substantially radially upwardly from the bore to the top of the casing;

(B) means on the casing defining a pair of upwardly facing surfaces, one at each side of the slot, spaced below the top of the casing and spaced rearwardly from the front of the casing;

(C) a latch bolt having one end portion adapted to project through the slot in the casing;

(D) opposite laterally projecting trunnion means on the latch bolt, intermediate the ends thereof, resting on said surfaces on the casing to pivot the latch bolt for swinging motion to and from an extended keeper engaging position in which said one end portion of the latch bolt projects obliquely forwardly and upwardly beyond the top of the casing;

(E) spring means reacting between the other end portion of the latch bolt and a portion of the casing to yieldingly bias the latch bolt toward its extended position while urging it bodily downwardly, to maintain engagement of the trunnion means with said surfaces, and forwardly along said surfaces;

(F) stop means integral with the casing defining rearwardly facing abutments above said surfaces, at each side of the slot, and which are engageable by the trunnion means to define the forward limit of spring urged bodily motion of the latch bolt;

(G) a trim member secured on the front of the casing having an aperture smaller than the bore in the cas- (H) a push button axially slidable in said aperture in the trim member and having forwardly facing shoulder means thereon engageable with the rear face of the trim member to define the most forward position of sliding motion of the push button, said push button having rearwardly facing surface portions disposed in a common plane normal to its axis; and

(l) a pusher in the bore, confined between the push button and said other end portion of the latch bolt, by which rearward motion of the push button is translated into swinging motion of the latch bolt away from its extended position and by which bias of the spring is transmitted to the push button to urge the latter toward its most forward position, said pusher comprising (l) a front leg having forwardly facing surface portions disposed in a common plane normal to the pushbutton axis and abutting said rearwardly facing surface portions on the pushbutton,

(2) an integral rear leg, and

( 3) abutment means on the rear end of the pusher cooperable with said other end portion of the latch bolt to translate rearward movement of the pusher into swinging motion of the latch bolt away from its extended position.

2. In a latch device of the type comprising a casing having a bore opening to its front and a slot opening from the bore to the top of the casing, a latch bolt confined to swinging motion in the casing, toward and from an extended position in which an end portion of the latch bolt projects beyond the top of the casing through said slot, and a spring reacting between the casing and the other end portion of the latch bolt to bias the latter toward its extended position, means for imparting swinging motion to the latch bolt in the direction away from its extended position, said last named means comprising:

(A) a trim member fixed on the front of the casing, closing the mouth of the bore therein, said trim member having a hole therein;

(B) a substantially cup shaped push button slideably guided in said hole in the trim member and accessible at the front thereof, said push button having a radially outwardly projecting circumferential ange behind the trim member which engages the rear surface of the latter, around the hole, to define the forward limit of sliding motion of the pushbutton; and

(C) a pusher comprising a unitary stamping having (l) an elongated medial portion which extends axially in the bore in the casing,

(2) a front leg extending laterally from the front end of said medial portion and having a flat front surface which abuts the rear face of said flange on the pushbutton to steady the pushbutton against tilting when the pushbutton is away from its front limit of sliding motion, and

(3) a rear leg which extends laterally from the rear end of said medial portion and which engages said other end portion of the latch bolt and by which rearward sliding motion of the pusher is translated into swinging motion of the latch bolt away from its extended position,

said pusher being normally maintained engaged with the push button and with the latch bolt under the bias of the spring and having the tips of its front and rear legs guidingly engaged with axially extending surfaces in the casing to be held thereby against tilting.

3. In a latch device of the character described:

(A) a casing having l) a bore which opens to the front of the casing,

(2) a slot opening from the bore to the top of the casing, and

(3) upwardly facing lengthwise extending surfaces in the bottom of the casing;

(B) a latch bolt pivoted in the casing for swinging movement to and from an extended position in which an end portion of the latch bolt projects beyond the top of the casing through said slot;

(C) a spring reacting between the casing and the other end portion of the latch bolt to bias the latter toward its extended position;

(D) a push button accessible at the front of the casing and mounted for axial sliding motion; and

(E) a pusher for translating rearward sliding motion of the push button into swinging motion of the latch bolt away from its extended position, said pusher comprising a unitary stamping having (1) a front leg extending transversely to the casing axis and atwise engaged by the push button,

(2) a rear leg providing a generally rearwardly facing abutment engaged with the other end portion of the latch bolt, and

(3) an elongated medial portion connecting said legs and extending axially in the bore,

the free ends of said legs of the pusher being slidably engaged with said surfaces in the casing to be guided thereby for axial movement of the pusher.

4. In a latch device of the type comprising a casing having a bore opening to its front and a slot opening from the bore to the top of the casing, a latch bolt confined to swinging motion in the casing, toward and from an extended position in which an end portion of the latch bolt projects beyond the top of the casing through said slot, and a spring reacting between the casing and the other end portion of the latch bolt to bias the latter toward its extended position, means for imparting swinging motion to the latch bolt in the direction away from its extended position, said last named means comprising:

(A) a push button having a radially outwardly projecting circumferential flange at its rear;

(B) means on the front of the casing mounting the pushbutton for axial back and forth motion with its front portion accessible at the front of the casing, said means providing a rearwardly facing abutment against which said flange on the pushbutton is engageable to define the forward limit of pushbutton motion;

(C) a substantially U-shaped unitary pusher in the bore in the casing bent from a flat metal blank and having l) a straight elongated medial portion which extends axially in the casing and which has parallel side edges cooperable with opposing straight surfaces in the casing to constrain the pusher to axial motion in the casing,

(2) a front leg which extends downwardly, normal to the medial portion and which atwise engages the flange on the pushbutton,

(3) an upwardly bulged inverted U-shaped portion connecting Said front leg with the mediall portion, said U-shaped portion being wider than the front leg and the medial portion of the pusher and providing outwardly facing edge surfaces cooperable with other opposing surfaces in the casing to further constrain the pusher to' axial motion, and

(4) a rear leg projecting downwardly from said straight medial portion and providing an abutment on its rear surface which is engageable with the latch bolt.

Tf 8 5. The latch device of claim 4, further characterized: References Cited by the Examiner (A) by the factthat the lower portion of Said rear leg UNITED STATES PATENTS of the pusher 1s bent obhqueiy rearwardly and down- Wardly; and 2,208,003 7/ 40 Jacobi 70-81 2,266,119 12/41 Jacobi 292-227 (B) by the fact that the lower edges of the front and 5 rear legs of the pusher provide straight surfaces 216831978 7/54 Jacobi which are guidingly slidable on straivht upwardly I facing surfaces in the casing to furtherbconstrain the M HENSON WOOD JR" Prlmary Examme' pusher to axial back and forth motion. 

1. IN A LATCH OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED: (A) A CASING HAVING (1) A BORE WHICH OPENS TO THE FRONT OF THE CASING, AND (2) A SLOT OPENING SUBSTANTIALLY RADIALLY UPWARDLY FROM THE BORE TO THE TOP OF THE CASING; (B) MEANS ON THE CASING DEFINING A PAIR OF UPWARDLY FACING SURFACES, ONE AT EACH SIDE OF THE SLOT, SPACED BELOW THE TOP OF THE CASING AND SPACED REARWARDLY FROM THE FRONT OF THE CASING; (C) A LATCH BOLT HAVING ONE END PORTION ADAPTED TO PROJECT THROUGH THE SLOT IN THE CASING; (D) OPPOSITE LATERALLY PROJECTING TRUNNION MEANS ON THE LATCH BOLT, INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, RESTING ON THE SURFACES ON THE CASING TO PIVOT THE LATCH BOLT FOR SWINGING MOTION TO AND FROM AN EXTENDED KEEPER ENGAGING POSITION IN WHICH SAID ONE END PORTION OF THE LATCH BOLT PROJECTS OBLIQUELY FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY BEYOND THE TOP OF THE CASING; (E) SPRING MEANS REACTING BETWEEN THE OTHER END PORTION OF THE LATCH BOLT AND A PORTION OF THE CASING TO YIELDINGLY BIAS THE LATCH BOLT TOWARD ITS EXTENDED POSITION WHILE URGING IT BODILY DOWNWARDLY, TO MAINTAIN ENGAGEMENT OF THE TRUNNION MEANS WITH SAID SURFACES, AND FORWARDLY ALONG SAID SURFACES; (F) STOP MEANS INTEGRAL WITH THE CASING DEFINING REARWARDLY FACING ABUTMENTS ABOVE SAID SURFACES, AT EACH SIDE OF THE SLOT, AND WHICHH ARE ENGAGEABLE BY THE TRUNNION MEANS TO DEFINE THE FORWARD LIMIT OF SPRING URGED BODILY MOTION OF THE LATCH BOLT; (G) A TRIM MEMBER SECURED ON THE FRONT OF THE CASING HAVING AN APERTURE SMALLER THAN THE BORE IN THE CASING; (H) A PUSH BUTTON AXIALLY SLIDABLE IN SAID APERTURE IN THE TRIM MEMBER AND HAVING FORWARDLY FACING SHOULDER MEANS THEREON ENGAGEABLE WITH THE REAR FACE OF THE TRIM MEMBER TO DEFINE THE MOST FORWARD POSITION OF SLIDING MOTION OF THE PUSH BUTTON, SAID PUSH BUTTON HAVING REARWARDLY FACING SURFACE PORTIONS DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE NORMAL TO ITS AXIS; AND (I) A PUSHER IN THE BORE, CONFINED BETWEEN THE PUSH BUTTON AND SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE LATCH BOLT, BY WHICH REARWARD MOTION OF THE PUSH BUTTON IS TRANSLATED INTO SWINGING MOTION OF THE LATCH BOLT AWAY FROM ITS EXTENDED POSITION AND BY WHICH BIAS OF THE SPRING IS TRANSMITTED TO THE PUSH BUTTON TO URGE THE LATTER TOWARD ITS MOST FORWARD POSITION, SAID PUSHER COMPRISING (1) A FRONT LEG HAVING FORWARDLY FACING SURFACE PORTIONS DISPOSED IN A COMMON PLANE NORMAL TO THE PUSHBUTTON AXIS AND ABUTTING SAID REARWARDLY FACING SURFACE PORTIONS ON THE PUSHBUTTON, (2) AN INTEGRAL REAR LEG, AND (3) ABUTMENT MEANS ON THE REAR END OF THE PUSHER COOPERABLE WITH SAID OTHER END PORTION OF THE LATCH BOLT TO TRANSLATE REARWARD MOVEMENT OF THE PUSHER INTO SWINGING MOTION OF THE LATCH BOLT AWAY FROM ITS EXTENDED POSITION. 